Bill Watterson’s daily comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes (1985-1995), often pulls from the genres of science-fiction and fantasy. At times, Calvin and his best friend, a walking, talking tiger, embark on adventures such as battling mutant snowmen or the monsters under his bed. At other times, he travels through space as the heroic Spaceman Spiff or through time in a time-machine of his own design. However, throughout the strip, the chimeric aspects of Calvin’s world are constantly undermined by the other characters who shatter his illusions and return the narrative to reality. Often, the comic strip very literally straddles both the fantasy/sci-fi world and the real world, with panels of desolate moonscapes followed by panels of Calvin in his living room.
This presentation will examine the use of one of Calvin’s characters: Spaceman Spiff. It will investigate the comic’s use of science-fiction tropes to frame Calvin’s reality. Spaceman Spiff is used to demonstrate how specific types of everyday situations will seem fantastic to a six-year-old. It will also explore how the blended words and images of the comic strip allows for Watterson to create an immersive fantasy world for the reader, pushing the boundaries of genre and storytelling.
About the presenterKeegan Lannon
Keegan Lannon has recently received his doctorate in English Literature from Aberystwyth University with a dissertation titled, Framing the Story: The Narrative Theory of Comics. He is a contributing co-editor of “I’m just a comic book boy”: The Intersection of Comics and Punk, a forthcoming collection of essays from McFarland Books, and a regular presenter at the Comics Art Conference, part of the San Diego International Comic Con. He also wishes he could ride a dragon.